Tomate aux crevettes is one of my favorite Belgian dishes! It is not difficult to make and the simplicity of the flavors is what makes it so great. Hollowed tomatoes are filled with a mixture of North Sea shrimp, mayonnaise, Worstershire sauce, lemon juice, and tabasco – or at least that’s how Koen and I make it. You can use store bought mayonnaise, but for last night’s dinner, Koen made it fresh from scratch and you can taste the difference! Traditionally tomate aux crevettes is paired with french fries, but we were in the mood for bread. To top the bread, I made a garlic butter made of butter, garlic, shallots, and parsley. Perfect combo!
Category Archives: Fish/Seafood
Beyoncé Concert!
This Christmas my husband surprised me with a ticket to see Beyoncé in Antwerp! If you don’t know, Queen Bey is my absolute favorite and this was my first time seeing her live! Koen doesn’t have the same enthusiasm, so I had a girls’ night with Barbara dancing and singing!
Fiskebar
For Koen’s birthday, we celebrated with lunch with the family at the Fiskebar in Antwerp! Even though it was cold outside, the sun was shining. So it was a perfect day to go for a walk and then enjoy delicious wine and seafood with great people!
Sinterklaas 2013
In case you don’t remember from last year, the “surprises” are homemade gifts tailored to the likes and hobbies of the person whose name you’ve drawn. This year I drew Dook, Koen’s dad. Because Dook is the biggest wine lover I know, my surprise had to do with wine. I fingerpainted a map of the world, then created a pathway through the major wine countries. Starting in California, Dook had to answer questions about wine to move forward. After successfully completing the game Dook was able to open his gift!
New York City: Russ and Daughters, San Gennaro, The Butcher’s Daughter
Heading into our last days in NYC, we knew we had to try a bagel from Russ and Daughters. Christina and I left to pick up bagels to bring back to the apartment but we hadn’t realized our trip coincided with Yom Kippur. There is always a long wait but we arrived the day before the holiest day of the year for Jewish people. So it was packed! But luckily a kind stranger gave us his tickets and we didn’t have to wait more than half an hour – but some people were waiting more than an hour to place orders! But I have to say it was worth the wait (plus I had good company)! After lunch we headed to Little Italy for the grand opening of San Gennaro – the oldest and biggest religious street festival in NYC. We heard there was a cannoli eating contest and we had to check it out. We’ll never be able to unsee the contest, but at least I can check off attending an eating event from my bucket list. I lost my craving for cannolis so we headed to The Butcher’s Daughter for kale chips and fresh juice. We were invited over to Queens for dinner at my friend Greg’s place, but of course I forgot to take photos!
Pesto
After using the pestle and mortar for the Gado Gado dressing, I realized I don’t use it enough! When I think of the cooking tool, the first dish that comes to mind is pesto – and I’d never tried it before. Surprisingly, maybe just to me, pesto is easy to make. Really. I served Jamie Oliver‘s basic pesto recipe with white fish and pasta. Delcious and simple flavors!
Bourla
My colleagues and I finally celebrated Christmas dinner! Although the late dinner is attributed to scheduling conflicts, we wound up really enjoying the sunny weather by eating outside. The Bourla is located in the Graanmarkt, alongside many other cafés and restaurants – it’s nice area to relax for a drink, lunch, or dinner. Because the weather was warm outside, my menu consisted mostly of North Sea Shrimp!
The Glorious
To celebrate Koen’s first paycheck from his new job, we invited Koen’s parents out for dinner at The Glorious. The Glorious’s sommelier, Jurgen Lijcops, who is often on Flemish TV speaking about wine, has created a winelist for the restaurant that is always evolving, depending on the month and season. For any wine lover, a trip to The Glorious is a must! I had been there once before for Christmas dinner with my colleagues and really enjoyed the food. Because of the wine and food, Koen and I thought this would be a great restaurant for celebrating his first paycheck! It was a bit more eventful than we expected (we were brought the wrong wine, the waiter spilled soup on my father-in-law, and a glass broke), but we still enjoyed the wine, food, and company!
Oma’s 85th Birthday Party!
For Koen’s Oma’s 85th Birthday Party, the family hosted a get together catered by the children and grandchildren! As my blog can attest, we all love to cook and eat well! Koen and I made savory dishes, chicken legs and chicken salads while the rest of the family made sweets and other delicious treats!








